Organ donation

Deceased Donation (Donating organs after your death)

One single organ donor can save as many as eight lives.
You can sign up online through the national Donate Life America website or call your DMV to designate your wishes about donation.
54% of Vermonters are already registered as donors.
It is extremely important to let your loved one know about your wishes as family members are asked to give consent for a loved one’s donation.
One American dies nearly every hour waiting for a transplant.

Living kidney donation

You can consider being a living donor, where a living person can donate an organ or part of an organ to someone in need of a transplant.
Living donors are often close family member or friend. You can also donate anonymously.
The most common organ given by living donor is kidney. Parts of liver, lung and pancreas can also be transplanted from living donors.
To be a living donor, you should be 18 years or older, have good physical and mental health and good kidney function. You should not have uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes or cancer.
On an average a kidney from living donor will last 15 to 20 years.
Contact the transplant center where the intended recipient has been approved for a transplant and ask about living donation.

Transplantation

Getting ready for Transplantation

Contact a transplant center in your area directly or ask your kidney doctor to refer you to the transplant center. (Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Albany Medical Center)
You will undergo an extensive and very through evaluation process which can take months to complete.
Once the evaluation process shows that transplant is the right choice for you, you will be placed on a transplant wait list. Average wait time is about 4 years or longer.
You should look for a potential living kidney donor.
You should also make effort to get listed at multiple transplant centers to increase your chances of getting a suitable kidney.

Life after Transplantation

The surgery takes about four hours. You should be out of bed in a day or two and home within a week
You will be required to have frequent checkups and doctor visits at the transplant center.
After surgery you will learn about antirejection medications and their side effects.
Antirejection medications suppress your immune system and prevent your body from attacking the donated kidney. You will take these medications for the rest of your life.
Anti-rejection medications lowers your immune system and increases your risk for infection and cancer. You will also be at a higher risk for developing diabetes after transplant.
It is common to have anxiety and depression after transplantation.
Many people return to work after eight to ten weeks after surgery
You should avoid raw, undercooked meat, poultry, fish, egg, unpasteurized milk. Also avoid unwashed raw vegetables and salads. Refer to Food safety booklet for transplant patients for more details